Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D for GFX
Disclaimer : this lens was lent to me by Foto Brenner, the distributor for Laowa lenses in Germany, but this isn’t a sponsored review—they didn’t have any say in what I’d write, nor did they get a read-through before I published this.
This review of the Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D lens for Fujifilm GFX mounts is based on my hands-on experience with it on my GFX100S II over the past month. Please note that it is not going to be a technical review. I'm a photographer and my aim is to understand and present what I see and experience in a real-life situation.
I’ve been testing the Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D as an ultra-wide lens on the GFX100S II, and it’s the widest native option I have for this system. With a 35mm-equivalent focal length of about 13mm (thanks to the 0.79x crop factor of the GFX sensor), it gives me an incredible 113° angle of view. I’ve used it for landscapes, architecture, interiors, and—something I was pleasantly surprised by—astrophotography. Laowa’s Zero-D claim isn’t just hype; this lens delivers near-zero distortion, which I find invaluable when I’m shooting scenes where straight lines are key.
Build Quality
The build quality is top-notch. The lens is very well-built. It’s an all-metal lens, weighing 829 grams and measuring 124.5mm long, so it feels solid and premium in my hands. The metal barrel, smooth focus ring, and clicked aperture ring (moving in full stops from f/4 to f/32) give it a durable, high-quality feel. I also appreciate the depth-of-field scale on the focus ring—it’s a practical touch. The front element has a hydrophobic coating which Laowa calls FE for Frog Eye Coating) that will shrug off water and dust, which I’ve found great for outdoor shoots. My one complaint is the lens cap—it feels cheap and flimsy, tending to pop off too easily, which bothers me on such an otherwise sturdy lens.
Optical Performance
Optically, it’s not the sharpest lens in my bag compared to Fujifilm’s GF lineup—like my GF 32-64mm f/4 or GF 110mm f/2—but it still performs well. With 21 elements in 14 groups, including two aspherical and three extra-low dispersion elements, it’s sharp enough in the center from f/4 to f/16, and the edges get better by f/5.6. That said, it doesn’t match the razor-sharp clarity of Fujifilm’s glass. When I pixel-peep in Lightroom, I can see the difference, but for real-world use—printing or sharing online—it’s plenty good.
The distortion control is a standout for me. It’s practically nonexistent, which I love for architecture shots. I notice vignetting at f/4, but it clears up by f/8. I’ve also been impressed by its performance when shooting directly into the sun—it keeps flares surprisingly limited, which is a nice bonus for an ultra-wide lens. I was pleasantly surprised by how great it is for astrophotography, too. The sky hasn’t been particularly clear over the past few weeks, and by the time I got a decent night, the Milky Way wasn’t visible. Still, from what I could capture, the lens handled stars cleanly across the frame at f/4 with minimal coma, and its wide angle let me frame huge swaths of the night sky. Based on this, I’d expect it to be a great tool for astrophotographers under better conditions—something I didn’t anticipate enjoying as much as I did.
Manual Focus Experience
Focusing manually with this lens is tough. Even with the GFX100S II’s high-res EVF and LCD, and cranking up the magnification zoom, it’s extremely hard to get focus spot-on. There are no electronic contacts, so it’s fully manual—no autofocus, no focus confirmation. Before using it, I had to tweak a couple of settings in the camera menu: I turned on the “Shoot Without Lens” option, which lets me fire the shutter without a lens attached, and I selected an MF assist option—I went with focus peaking since it’s the most effective for me. Even with focus peaking, it requires great effort to nail the focus, but when I do, the results are great—sharp and detailed where I want them. Obviously, focusing in bright daylight is easier than in darker environments, especially because the noise level on the LCD and viewfinder gets distracting when using the magnification option in low light. It’s a hassle, but worth it.
Medium Format Fit
I don’t consider it a “proper” medium format lens in the traditional sense—its f/4 aperture doesn’t deliver the shallow depth-of-field or light-gathering power I’d expect from something designed from the ground up for medium format. To me, it feels like Laowa adapted this lens for the GFX system from a full-frame design, tweaking it just enough to cover the 33x44mm sensor. It does the job fully, no question, but the optical formula and maximum aperture hint at a full-frame origin rather than a bespoke medium format build. Still, its ultra-wide perspective and distortion control pair beautifully with the GFX system, giving me a look Fujifilm’s widest lens, the GF 23mm f/4 (18mm equivalent), can’t replicate.
Handling and Practicality
On my GFX100S II, the lens balanced nicely despite its weight, though I usually mounted it on a tripod for landscapes or astro shots. The 86mm filter thread is a bit of a pain—it’s an uncommon size, and I’ve found it tough to track down reasonably priced filters that fit.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Laowa 17mm f/4 Zero-D is a mixed bag. Its impressive distortion-free performance is a huge plus, and I’ve really grown to appreciate its solid build and unexpected versatility for astrophotography over the past month—despite the cloudy skies limiting my testing. But the lack of autofocus and the sheer difficulty of manual focusing—even with the GFX100S II’s tools—make it a tough recommendation for everyone. It’s a specialized lens, best suited for photographers like me who don’t want to spend a fortune on a wide-angle option and who need it for architecture photography on a tripod. It’s a cost-effective alternative to the very expensive tilt-shift lenses out there, but its quirks mean it won’t appeal to everyone. For €1,299, it fills a unique niche in a GFX kit, delivering results that punch above its weight if you’re willing to put in the work.
